International News

Honduran consular official Sandra Fúnez reports that most eligible Hondurans have already submitted applications for Spain's migration regularization program before its June 30 deadline, with the few who have not largely held back by pending criminal records in Spain.

FIFA assigned Honduran referee Said Martínez to officiate England versus Ghana on June 23, making him the first Honduran to referee two World Cup matches, with compatriots Walter López and Cristian Ramírez as assistant referees.

President Nasry Asfura became the first Honduran leader to visit Ukraine, where President Volodymyr Zelenski praised Honduras's shift in diplomatic alignment and support for Ukraine in international forums.

Mauricio Dubón delivered a key single that drove in two runs as Atlanta defeated Milwaukee 3–2, keeping the Braves atop the National League East and boosting his candidacy for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.

Guatemala presented its legal arguments to the International Court of Justice regarding the strategic Zapotillo archipelago, which Honduras and Belize also claim.

Honduras and the Dominican Republic are exploring direct flights to San Pedro Sula and deepening cooperation on tourism, trade, and investment to generate jobs and economic growth in both countries.

Honduran forward Luis Palma and Polish champion Lech Poznań will face Denmark's Aarhus GF in the second qualifying round of the 2026–27 Champions League, with matches set for late July.

Honduran forward Antony Lozano has departed Santos Laguna after two seasons marked by injuries, ending his stint with the Mexican club on June 16.

Honduran consular offices across the United States will close on Friday, June 19, for the U.S. Juneteenth holiday, reopening Monday, June 22.

Arelys Barahona-Martínez, the spouse of a Honduran armed forces veteran, was arrested by US immigration authorities on June 10 during a routine check-in in Texas and transferred to ICE detention, separating the family.

Foreign Minister Mireya Agüero plans to meet the International Organization for Migration's global representative to discuss deportations from the US, rising political asylum claims in Honduras, and other migration concerns affecting the country.

A federal judge in Michigan sentenced Honduran national Wilmer Rodríguez, 39, to nearly four years in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation, following a prior state conviction for first-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, and firearms offenses.

Honduran center referee Said Martínez made history in his World Cup debut by awarding the first penalty ever given to Switzerland in World Cup play, during Switzerland's match against Qatar.

U.S. authorities have declared unauthorized drones the top security threat at the 2026 World Cup, establishing strict no-fly zones around stadiums and training facilities with federal penalties including fines up to $100,000 and up to one year in prison.

Seven Hondurans were identified among 39 migrants rescued from a truck that caught fire in Texas on June 4; Honduras's Foreign Ministry says it is providing consular assistance to the nationals involved.

The European Union is backing Honduras with a €6 million non-repayable grant aimed at reducing investment risk, attracting private capital, and integrating the country into its Global Gateway infrastructure strategy, EU ambassador Gonzalo Fournier Conde said.

US and Mexican authorities recorded a 67% decline in arrests of Central American migrants compared to 2025.

A cross-border investigation by Latin American journalists found that environmental defenders in Honduras, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Brazil, and Panama face coordinated online harassment, doxxing, and death threats designed to discredit them, yet most countries lack adequate legal protections against digital violence.

US authorities are cautioning foreign content creators planning to cover the 2026 World Cup that monetized social-media content violates tourist-visa terms and could result in visa cancellation and deportation.

Attorney Roberto Velásquez says a U.S. program offering $1,000–$2,000 to migrants who leave voluntarily has prompted thousands of Hondurans to depart the country, proving more effective than he had expected.

Liverpool FC announced it will offer a new contract to 19-year-old Honduran forward Keyrol Figueroa after he scored 11 goals in 14 Premier League 2 matches this season and made his international debut for Honduras.

Academic Manuel Flores cites official records showing at least 1.47 million Hondurans reside in the United States, representing nearly 14% of Honduras's total population, with a near-even gender split.

Migration authorities from Central America and the Dominican Republic are holding a two-day annual meeting in Punta Cana to discuss border security, human mobility challenges, and coordinated responses to migration flows, with Belize set to assume leadership of the regional migration body.

Honduras's ambassador to Washington said the government is closely tracking US Supreme Court decisions on temporary protected status for migrants, while offering Hondurans abroad tax exemptions on returning goods and tools to support eventual repatriation.

Honduras fell to Argentina 2-0 in an international friendly at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, with goals from Lautaro Martínez and Giuliano Simeone.

Midfielder Deybi Flores has joined Atlético Petróleos de Luanda of Angola's first division on a two-year deal, reuniting him with fellow Honduran Jonathan Rubio and marking his move to African football after playing in Saudi Arabia.

A federal judge has postponed sentencing former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan indefinitely to consider overturning her obstruction-of-justice conviction, which stemmed from her alleged role in helping a Honduran immigrant evade federal agents — a conviction her defense says rested on a legal theory since invalidated by an appeals court.

Marco Tulio Rodas Matamoros, 28, a sports producer for Televicentro's TVC Deportes in Honduras, drowned after being caught in a rip current at El Zonte beach in El Salvador.

Honduras and a dozen other American countries in the Shield of the Americas coalition expressed support for Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz and condemned destabilization attempts, citing concerns that protests and road blockades are disrupting food and medicine supplies.

Honduran outfielder Mauricio Dubón of the Atlanta Braves hit his third straight home run on Friday against Pittsburgh, his sixth of the season.